Shock-absorbing packaging device

ABSTRACT

A packaging device has a container provided with a shock-absorbing unit that includes a bottom pad, and a plurality of side pads extending upward from opposite sides of the bottom pad. Each of the bottom and side pads includes a plate member that has a corrugated base plate region and a peripheral flange surrounding the corrugated base plate region. The corrugated base plate region projects from an inner surface of the container to absorb shock when the peripheral flange abuts against the inner surface. Partition pads are provided to span opposite side pads when an object to be packaged is small.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a packaging device, more particularly to ashock-absorbing packaging device.

2. Description of the Related Art

For protection purposes, most objects are packaged within containerswhen they are transported. When there are voids present between theobject and an inner side of the container, or when it is necessary tocushion the object inside the container, stuffing materials are used tofill the voids or to cushion the object.

Commonly used stuffing materials include foams that are formed as blocksor plates having sizes and shapes capable of complementing with thevoids around an object within a container. Usually, the sizes and shapesof the blocks or plates are customized. Therefore, once the object ischanged in size, the blocks or plates will become unsuitable, and a newset of blocks or plates must be fabricated, thereby increasingmanufacturing costs and inventory problems.

Another stuffing material is a blistered packing material that can bestuffed into voids between an object and an inner side of a container.While the blistered packing material may be manufactured at a low costand may be used for different sizes and shapes of objects, wrapping anobject with the blistered packing material is laborious andtime-consuming and requires use of an adhesive tape to fasten theblistered packing material. When the object is to be unwrapped, it isnecessary to cut off the adhesive tape and even the blistered packingmaterial by using a knife or scissors. Generally, the blistered packingmaterial cannot be reused after cut.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a packagingdevice with a shock-absorbing unit that accommodates different sizes ofcontainers and different sizes of objects to be packaged.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a packaging devicewith a shock-absorbing unit that facilitates packaging of an object.

According to one aspect of this invention, a packaging device comprisesa container and a shock-absorbing unit disposed within the container inabutment with an inner surface of the container. The shock-absorbingunit includes a bottom pad having opposite sides, and a plurality ofside pads extending upward at the opposite sides of the bottom plate.Each of the side pads has a plurality of parallel grooves that arealigned respectively with the grooves of the other opposite one of theside pads in horizontal directions and that define a plurality of ribstherebetween. The shock-absorbing unit further includes a partition unitto be placed inside the container and including at least one partitionpad for spanning two opposite ones of the side pads that are opposite toeach other. The partition pad has two opposite ends insertableselectively and respectively into two of the grooves in the oppositeones of the side pads.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a packaging devicecomprises a container and a shock-absorbing unit disposed within thecontainer and abutting against an inner surface of the container. Theshock-absorbing unit includes: a bottom pad having opposite sides; and aplurality of side pads extending upward at the opposite sides of thebottom pad. Each of the bottom and side pads includes a plate memberwhich has a corrugated base plate region and a peripheral flangesurrounding the corrugated base plate region. The corrugated base plateregion projects from an inner surface of the container when theperipheral flange abuts against the inner surface. The corrugated baseplate region is deformable to absorb shock.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a foldable pad for protecting an object placed inside acontainer. The foldable pad comprises four plate members that areconnected foldably to each other. One of the plate members has front,rear, left and right sides. Three of the plate members are connectedrespectively to the front and rear sides and the left or right side andare foldable upward from said one of the plate members. Each of theplate members has a corrugated base plate region and a peripheral flangesurrounding the corrugated base plate region. The peripheral flange isadapted to abut against an inner surface of the container, and thecorrugated base plate region is adapted to project from the innersurface of the container and to cushion the object. The corrugated baseplate region is deformable to absorb shock and has a plurality of ribsthat define grooves therebetween.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent in the following detailed description of the preferredembodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a shock-absorbing unit of apackaging device embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing two foldable pads of the shock-absorbingunit;

FIG. 3 is a sectional side view showing that plate members of a toppanel are assembled with the foldable pads;

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing that an object and the shock-absorbingunit are placed in a box;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the shock-absorbing unit;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a plate member of a partition pad;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing one partition pad placed inside theshock-absorbing unit;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing three partition pads providedinside the shock-absorbing unit;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing two partition pads provided withinthe shock-absorbing unit;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing two partition pads provided insidethe shock-absorbing unit;

FIG. 11 is the same view as FIG. 10 but showing an additional top panelprovided on top of a foldable pad; and

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing four partition pads providedinside the shock-absorbing unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, a packaging device embodying the presentinvention includes a container in the form of a box 5, and ashock-absorbing unit to be placed inside the box 5 in abutment with aninner surface of the box 5. The shock-absorbing unit includes a bottompad 1, side pads, a partition unit 3, and a top pad 4.

The bottom pad 1 includes two plate members 11 each of which has aplurality of parallel grooves 111 that define a plurality of ribs 112therebetween.

The side pads include two pairs of opposite side pads that extendupright at opposite sides of the bottom pad 1. In particular, the sidepads include front and rear side pads 2A, 2B, and left and right sidepads 2C, 2D. Each of the front and rear side pads 2A, 2B includes twoplate members 21, 22. Each of the plate members 21, 22 has parallelgrooves 211, 221 that are aligned respectively with the grooves 211, 221of the other one of the plate members 21, 22 in a horizontal directionand that define a plurality of ribs 212, 222 therebetween. Each of theleft and right side pads 2C, 2D has a plate member 23, 24 includingparallel grooves 231, 241. The grooves 231 of the plate member 23 of theleft side pad 2C are aligned respectively with the grooves 241 of theplate member 24 of the right side pad 2D in a horizontal direction. Thegrooves 231, 241 define ribs 232, 242 therebetween. In addition, thegrooves 211, 221 of the plate members 21, 22 are aligned with thegrooves 111 of the plate members 11 of the bottom pad 1.

Referring to FIG. 5 in combination with FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, each platemember 11, 21, 22, 23, 24 is a tray-like plate member that includes acorrugated base plate region 26 provided with the grooves 111, 211, 221,231, 241 and the ribs 112, 212, 222, 232, 242, and a peripheral flange27 that surrounds the corrugated base plate region 26 and that extendsobliquely and flares outwardly from the corrugated base plate region 26.The plate members 11, 21, 22, 23, 24 are preferably made of plastic andare arranged such that the corrugated base plate regions 26 project froman inner surface of the box 5 when the peripheral flanges 27 abutagainst the inner surface of the box 5. The corrugated base plateregions 26 are deformable to absorb shock. The peripheral flanges 27 ofthe plate member 21, 22, 23, 24 are provided with protrusion-and-recessengagement surfaces for interengaging the plate members 21, 22, 23, 24at four corners of the box 5. Preferably, the protrusion-and-recessengagement surfaces include recesses 213, 223 formed in the peripheralflanges 27 of the plate members 21, 22, and protrusions 233, 243 formedin the peripheral flanges 27 of the plate members 23, 24.

The partition unit 3 includes a plurality of partition pads,specifically, first partition pads 31 for spanning the front and rearside pads 2A, 2B, and second partition pads 32 for spanning the left andright side pads 2C, 2D. Each first partition pad 31 has two oppositeends insertable selectively and respectively into two grooves 211, 221of the plate members 21, 22. Each second partition pad 32 has twoopposite ends insertable selectively and respectively into two grooves231, 241 of the plate members 23, 24. The first and second partitionpads 31, 32 are substantially vertical and each has a height smallerthan that of the plate members 21, 22, 23, 24. Preferably, the first andsecond partition pads 31, 32 has a height substantially equal to half aheight of the plate members 21, 22, 23, 24. In use, the first partitionpads 31 are placed transversely of the second partition pads 32.

Referring to FIG. 6 in combination with FIGS. 1 and 2, each of the firstand second partition pads 31, 32 includes a plate member made of plasticand having a corrugated partition plate region 331 and a marginal flange332 that is insertable into the grooves 111, 211, 221, 231, 241. Thecorrugated partition plate region 331 has a plurality of ribs 334 andgrooves 335 that extend in a direction transverse to the directionsalong which the grooves 211, 221, 231, 241, and the ribs 212, 222, 232,242 of the plate members 21, 22, 23, 24 extend. However, it iscontemplated that the partition pads 31, 32 may be provided with groovesand ribs having any other suitable shapes.

The top pad 4 has two plate members 41 each of which is also a tray-likeplate member that has a peripheral flange 27 surrounding a corrugatedbase plate region 26 formed with grooves 411 and ribs 412.

While the plate members 21, 22, 23, 24, 41 are provided with theparallel grooves 111, 211, 221, 231, 241, 411 and parallel ribs 112,212, 222, 232, 242, 412, the present invention should not be limitedthereto. It is contemplated that the grooves and ribs of the platemembers 11, 21, 22, 23, 24, 41 may have any other suitable shape as longas the plate members 11, 21, 22, 23, 24, 41 have strength andshock-absorbing characteristics sufficient to cushion an object to bepackaged.

Referring once again to FIGS. 1 and 2, each plate member 11 of thebottom pad 1 is formed foldably as one piece with one of the platemembers 21 of the front side pad 2A, one of the plate members 22 of therear side pad 2B, and the plate member 23, 24 of one of the left andright side pads 2C, 2D, thereby forming a foldable pad 2. Fold lines 28are formed among the plate members 21, 22, and 23 (or 24) of thefoldable pad 2. Therefore, there are two foldable pads 2. Each foldablepad 2 has four plate members 11, 21, 22, and 23, or 11, 21, 22, and 24.The plate members 21, 22, 23 (24) are foldable upward from the platemember 11 in each foldable pad 2.

In use, the foldable pads 2 are folded and placed within the box 5together with an object 6 as shown in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5. The corrugatedbase plate regions 26 project from an inner surface 52 of the box 5 tocushion or abut against the object 6, whereas the peripheral flanges 27abut against the inner surface 52 of the box 5. At four corners of thebox 5, the peripheral flanges 27 of the plate members 21, 22 abutagainst and interlock with the respective peripheral flanges 27 of theplate members 23, 24 through interengagement of the protrusions 233, 243and the recesses 213, 223. The plate members 41 of the top pad 4 areplaced on top of the plate members 21, 22, 23, 24, as best shown in FIG.3.

Referring once again to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, if the size of the box 5 islarge, the two foldable pads 2 may be placed within the box 5 in aspaced-apart relationship so that the two plate members 11, 21, 22 ofeach of the bottom pad 1, the front side pad 2A, and the rear side pad2B are spaced apart from each other by a distance 51. The distance 51between the foldable pads 2 may be increased or decreased depending onthe size or length of the box 5. Thus, the shock-absorbing unitaccording to the present invention can accommodate to various sizes ofthe box 5.

Referring to FIG. 7 in combination with FIGS. 4 and 5, if the width ofthe object 6 is too small to fit the foldable pads 2, the secondpartition pad 32 may be placed between the plate members 23, 24 byinserting two ends of the second partition pad 32 into one of thegrooves 231 of the plate member 23 and one of the grooves 241 of theplate member 24, respectively. One side of the second partition pad 32abuts against the object 6, whereas the other side thereof is spacedapart from the inner surface of the box 5. The two plate members 41(only one is shown) of the top pad 4 are provided on top of the foldablepads 2, respectively. The peripheral flanges 27 of the plate members 41will abut against the inner surface of the box 5 when placed in the box5. As such, the object 6 can be prevented from vibrational movementswithin the box 5.

Referring to FIG. 8 in combination with FIGS. 4 and 5, when the heightof the object 6 is half a height of the box 5, two second partition pads32 may be inserted additionally into the box 5 above the first partitionpad 31 to press against the top side of the object 6.

When the length of the object 6 is too small to fit the foldable pads 2,two first partition pads 31 may be placed in the foldable pads 2 to abutagainst two sides of the object 6 by inserting two opposite ends of eachfirst partition pad 31 into one of the grooves 211 of the correspondingplate member 21 and one of the grooves 221 of the corresponding platemember 22, as shown in FIGS. 9, 10 and 11. If the height of the object 6is half a height of the box 5, two second partition pads 32 may beinserted additionally into the box 5 above the first partition pads 32so as to press against the top side of the object 6, as shown in FIG.12.

While the present invention has been described in connection with whatis considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it isunderstood that this invention is not limited to the disclosedembodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included withinthe spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompassall such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

1. A packaging device, comprising: a container; and a shock-absorbingunit disposed within said container in abutment with an inner surface ofsaid container, said shock-absorbing unit including: a bottom pad havingopposite sides; a plurality of side pads extending upward from saidopposite sides of said bottom plate, each of said side pads having aplurality of parallel grooves that are aligned respectively with saidgrooves of the other opposite one of said side pads in a horizontaldirection and that define a plurality of ribs therebetween; and apartition unit to be placed inside said container and including at leastone partition pad for spanning two opposite ones of said side pads, saidpartition pad having two opposite ends insertable selectively andrespectively into two of said grooves in said opposite ones of said sidepads.
 2. The packaging device of claim 1, wherein each of said side padsincludes a plate member which has a corrugated base plate region and aperipheral flange surrounding and projecting from said corrugated baseplate region, said corrugated base plate region projecting from saidinner surface of said container when said peripheral flange abutsagainst said inner surface, said corrugated base plate region havingsaid grooves and said ribs.
 3. The packaging device of claim 2, whereinsaid partition pad has a plastic plate member that has a corrugatedpartition plate region, and a marginal flange surrounding and projectingfrom said corrugated partition plate region.
 4. The packaging device ofclaim 3, wherein said corrugated partition plate region has a pluralityof ribs that extend in a direction transverse to directions along whichsaid ribs of said plate members of said side pads extend and that definegrooves therebetween.
 5. The packaging device of claim 3, wherein saidpartition unit includes a plurality of said partition pads, said sidepads having front, rear, left and right side pads, said partition padsincluding a first partition pad spanning said front and rear side pads,and a second partition pad spanning said left and right side pads, saidfirst and second partition pads extending one above the other.
 6. Thepackaging device of claim 5, wherein each of said first and secondpartition pads is vertical and has a height smaller than that of saidfront, rear, left and right side pads.
 7. The packaging device of claim6, wherein said height of each of said first and second partition padsis half of a height of said plate members of said front, rear, left andright side pads.
 8. The packaging device of claim 2, wherein saidshock-absorbing unit further includes a top pad, each of said top andbottom pads including a plate member which has a peripheral flangesurrounding a corrugated base plate region that is formed with aplurality of substantially parallel grooves and ribs, said corrugatedbase plate region of said top or bottom pad projecting inwardly fromsaid inner surface of said container when said peripheral flange of saidtop or bottom pad abuts against said inner surface.
 9. A foldable padfor protecting an object placed inside a container, said foldable padcomprising: four plate members that are connected foldably to eachother; one of said plate members having front, rear, left and rightsides; three of said plate members being connected respectively to saidfront and rear sides and said left or right side and being foldableupward from said one of said plate members; each of said plate membershaving a corrugated base plate region and a peripheral flangesurrounding said corrugated base plate region, said peripheral flangebeing adapted to abut against an inner surface of the container, saidcorrugated base plate region being adapted to project from the innersurface of the container and to cushion the object; and said corrugatedbase plate region being deformable to absorb shock and having aplurality of ribs that define grooves therebetween.
 10. The foldable padof claim 9, wherein said ribs of said three of said plate members aresubstantially vertical when folded upward, said peripheral flangeextending obliquely and flaring outwardly from said corrugated baseplate region.
 11. A packaging device, comprising: a container; and ashock-absorbing unit disposed within said container and abutting againstan inner surface of said container, said shock-absorbing unit including:a bottom pad having opposite sides; a plurality of side pads extendingupward from said opposite sides of said bottom pad; each of said bottomand side pads including a plate member which has a corrugated base plateregion and a peripheral flange surrounding said corrugated base plateregion, said corrugated base plate region projecting from an innersurface of said container when said peripheral flange abuts against saidinner surface, said corrugated base plate region being deformable toabsorb shock.
 12. The packaging device of claim 11, wherein said sidepads includes front, rear, left and right side pads, said bottom padincluding a pair of said plate members, each of said front and rear sidepads including a pair of said plate members, each of said left and rightside pads including one said plate member, one of said plate members ofsaid bottom pad being formed foldably as one piece with one of saidplate members of each of said front and rear side pads and said platemember of one of said left and right side pads, each of said corrugatedbase plate region having a plurality of ribs that define groovestherebetween.
 13. The packaging device of claim 12, wherein said platemembers of each of said bottom pad, said front side pad, and said rearside pad are spaced apart from each other inside said container by adistance.
 14. The packaging device of claim 12, wherein said containerhas a plurality of corners, said peripheral flanges of said platemembers of said side pads having protrusion-and-recess engagementsurfaces that are interengaged at said corners.
 15. The packaging deviceof claim 12, wherein said container has a plurality of corners, saidperipheral flange of said plate member of each of said left and rightside pads abutting against said peripheral flanges of said plate membersof said front and rear side pads at said corners.
 16. The packagingdevice of claim 15, wherein each of said peripheral flanges of said sidepads flares outwardly from a corresponding one of said corrugated baseplate regions.
 17. The packaging device of claim 11, further comprisinga top pad disposed on top of said side pads, said top pad including aplate member that has a peripheral flange surrounding a corrugated baseplate region and abutting against said inner surface of said container,said corrugated base plate region of said top pad projecting from saidinner surface and being deformable to absorb shock.